One Punch Man (2018)

[ワンパンマン]

Volume 17

Author: ONE
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Publisher: Jump Comics

Synopsis:
Bang and Bomb work together to put an end to Garou's rampage.

Story/Characters:
The more we learn about Garou, the more it feels like the world has it coming. I suppose it would be difficult to keep us tagging along with a character like Garou if he didn't earn a few sympathy points. He's still wrong and his plan is dumb, but he's got a lot of guts to go as far as he does. You almost feel bad having Bang and Bomb double-team him.

There are quite a few good character moments throughout this volume. We're seeing the pieces put in place for the Hero Association's big play on the Monster Association while the Monster Association moves its own plans forward. Being a Fubuki fan, I particularly liked her interactions with Team Saitama.

And as a side note, Amai Mask continues to be an insufferable d-bag who manages to be more hateable than most of the friggin' Monster Association. And he manages to maintain his track record with a mere three-page appearance. Good work, guy.

Art:
Of course the art in general continues to be of the same high quality we expect from the series and that includes action sequences that continue to raise the bar. Quite easily the highlight of this volume is four two-page spreads in a row to deliver the climax of one showdown.

I'd also like to note that the design for Kirisaking (or Royal Ripper as he's apparently known in English) is pretty cool.

And it would seem that art on the inside of the dust cover is now a regular feature. That's kinda neat.

Conclusion:
This volume delivers action, character development and we move closer to what is hopefully going to be a big payoff for the Hero Association vs. Monster Association showdown. It hits all the points and it's a no-brainer for fans of the series. Get it.

Rating:
Own It